Cycle controlling apparatus



C. C. M CAIN CYCLE CONTROLLING APPARATUS May 9, 1950 Filed Jan. 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l N y a 4 a 0 M M a 76 n I i/ m 2 m M II I a M w M a H W I NW /AC. I I 1 6 V/ a a Q a E 7 4 2 0 a w 4 F II 9 P o 4 2 4 5 a m! w a a H 7 4 3 6 4 I I 4 e 3 0 l. 7 .I 2 M F m I \IHP, 6 7 I l Im III I IL. 4 Z. 7 I 3 a a 5 ,ZIIUVIJMK W I@ I I: I A 2i {III} I I I 4 .v\ .I. I v. a

May 9, 1950 c. c. M CAIN 2,507,315

CYCLE CONTROLLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1945 /AN QW Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CYCLE CONTROLLING APPARATUS Cecil C. McCain Glen Ellyn, Ill., asaignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 24, 1945, Serial No. 574,410

9 Claims. (01. 60-52) This invention relates to cycle controlling apparatus and more particularly to program temperature control mechanisms.

The invention is particularly useful in controlling the temperature in ovens used for growing ammonium dihydrogen phosphate crystals which, in the specific instance, take fifty-five days of continuous oven operation to grow, during which period it is necessary that the oven temperature be dropped in accordance with a definite program from an initial temperature of 120 F. to a room temperature of approximately 72 F.

An object of this invention is to provide a cycle controlling apparatus which is simple, emcient and practicable for effecting a definite cycle con-' trol program.

In accordance with the above object, the present invention, in one embodiment thereof, contemplates a mechanism for varying temperature in accordance with a definite program over a considerable period of time, wherein a. constant speed actuator drives a hydraulic pump of such small capacity that a hydraulically operated plunger of suitable dimensions actuated thereby will make one stroke in the desired time. The plunger is operatively connected to an adjustable thermostat eifective to control the temperature in a space to be heated, the movement of the plunger causing an adjustment of the thermostat in accordance with the program desired. Specifically, the mechanism as applied to controlling the temperature in an oven used in the growing of crystals in the manner above described comprises operatively connecting the hydraulic pump to a constant speed actuator to vary the temperature over a fifty-five day period. An outlet port of the pump communicates with a cylinder and the pump impulses, acting upon a piston and attached rod reciprocable in the cylinder, cause the rod to complete one stroke in the desired period of temperature control. A cam follower carried by the rod and engaging a stationary cam oi the required contour causes a 30 rotation of the rod during its complete stroke over a period of fifty-five days and this latter motion is transmitted, by means of a connecting rod splined axially to the rod which is hollow, to an adjusting screw threaded into the outer end of a thermostat extending into the crystal growing oven, the inner end of the screw being operatively connected to electrical contact members of the thermostat, the opening and closing of the contact members controlling a heating means for the oven. Thus, in accordance with z i the desired temperature program the thermostat is adjusted to cause the oven temperature to drop from F. to 72 F. in fifty-five days.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a temperature control mechanism embodying the features of the invention, the constant speed actuator for the hydraulic pump being shown diagrammatically in the form of a motor driven crank;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through an adjustable thermostat for controlling the temperature of an oven or other area to be heated in accordance with a definite program;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the hydraulic pump and valve in one operative position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line H of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary views similar to Fig. 4 showing the hydraulic pump and valve in other operative positions; and

Fig. 8 is a plan section taken on the line 8-4 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly to Fig. l, a base block of a temperature control mechanism embodying the features of this inven tion is indicated at I, from which extend vertically a hydraulic cylinder II and a chamber l2, the latter containing a supply of oil for the cylinder. Intermediate the cylinder II and chamber I2 is a hydraulic pump and valve, indicated in general at l3, which, in the operation of the mechanism, intermittently pumps oil supplied from the chamber to the cylinder and below a piston H at a very low rate in a manner and for a purpose to be presently described. Attached to the piston I4 is a hollow rod H, which extends through the upper end of the cylinder. Freely slidable within the hollow of the rod i1 and splined thereto, as indicated at I8, is a rod IE, to the upper enlarged end of which is attached a screw 20, the screw being freely rotatably threaded into a threaded end wall 2! (Fig. 2) of an adjustable thermostat, indicated in general at 24. Secured to the upper end of the rod l1 and outside the cylinder H is a bracket arm 25, on the outer end of which is rotatably carried a cam follower or roller 26, which is arranged to ride in a cam slot 21 of the required contour formed in an arcuate shaped plate 28. The cam plate 28 is supported at its lower end, as indicated at 3|, to the cylinder II and at its upper end from an arm 32 of a bracket 33 clamped to the lower end of a casing ll of the thermostat 2|. From the above description, it will be apparent that as the piston l4 and rod H are slowly raised by the oil entered at a very low rate into the cylinder Jl by the pump 13, they will also be slowly rotated as the cam roller 26 follows the cam slot 21. At the same time, due to the splined connection ll between the hollow rod 11 and rod I, the latter will likewise be rotated and in a manner to be presently described will also be elevated at a slower rate than the rod l1. As indicated by the arrow surrounding the rod is in Figs. 1 and 2, the rotatable parts including the screw 2| are rotated in a counterclockwise direction clue to the formation of the cam slot 21.

The hydraulic pump and valve ll, referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 8,inclusive, comprises a rotary valve member 31 journalled in an aperture 3| :lormcd in the base block ll. Rotatably free upon the valve member 31 is a lever 39, to the outer end of which is pivotally connected an actuating rod M, which, in the operation of the mechanism, is constantly being reciprocated. To the valve member l'l is attached a lever ll which is yieldably connected to the lever 39 by a coiled tension spring 44 so that upon a counterclockwise movement of the lever 39 from its normal position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the lever M will move in a similar direction and with it the valve member 31. Within a right hand spirally screw threaded bore 45 of the valve the lever 89 are lugs SI and 52, so arranged that one face of the lug 5| engages an arm of the lever ll in the normal position thereof (Fig. 4) and, during its operating movement counterclockwise, one face of the mgr: engages the screw 48 on the lever 51!. Also, in the normal position ofthe lever 39, a laterally extending pin it on an. arm of the lever engages an arm on the lever 41. Another arm of the lever ll is arranged to engage, at the end of-its counterclockwise movement.(Figs. 5 and 6), a stop pin 54. y

At its inner end the memberv lI'is reduced, as

indicated at 55, to provide a very. small piston or plunger of circular cross-section, which opersites in a correspondingly small cylinder 58. Communicating with and extending laterally from the cylinder 58 are passages 59 and 60, which communicate with passages 6iand 62, oiiset horizontally, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 8, formed in the base block II, the latter passages communicating with the cylinder l I and chamber 82, respectively. A by-pass conduit 64, which includes a valve 65, interconnects the cylinder ii and chamber l2 so that the piston I4 and parts connected thereto may be quickly returned after an operation to their normal position (Fig.

1), wherein the piston is at the lower end of the cylinder and the cam roller 26. is at the lower' on below the bamnquicmy passing from the cylinder H to the chamber l2. due to the weight of the returning parts.

In certain manufacturing processes involving the application of heat, it is necessary that the heat be maintained over a period in accordance with a definite program. For instance, in the growing of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate crystals in an oven, this period takes flfty-flve days. From an initial oven temperature of 129 F., the temperature is lowered to approximateb 72 F. at the end of the crystal growing period and the temperature changes are not uniform throughout the period, but are accelerated toward the end 01 the period. The shape of the cam slot 21 (Fig. 1) illustrates the temperature program as used in the growing of the aforementioned crystals. For diflerent temperature controls or when the control mechanism is used for other purposes, the cam plate 28 may be replaced by another cam plate suitable for the particular use to which the mechanism is to be applied. 7

The pump and valve actuating rod 40, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, may be operative]! connected to a crank 86 operating at a suitable speed from a constant speed motor 81. During each forward and return reciprocation of the rod 40, an operating cycle oi the pump and the valve 53 is as follows: With the pump and valve 23 in their normal positions (Figs. 3 and 4) and upon the rod 40 being moved in the direction of the arrow, the lever 39 will be rocked in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 4) and, through its yieldable connection, provided by the spring II, to the lever 4i and the attached valve member 31, the latter also being rocked in a similar direction, the lever 47 remaining in position against stop screw 69 and the movement of the lever ll being stopped by the stop pin 54. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 5 and it will be noted that the oil passage 60 of the valve member 31 has been cut ofi from the passage 62 to the oil supply chamber l2 and the oil passage 59 of the valve member 31 has been opened to the passage 61 to the cylinder ii. The arrangement of the oil passages is such that the passage 60 is completely out off from the passage 62 before the passage 55 is opened to the passage 6! so that at no time is there communication between the oil supply chamber 82 and the cylinder M. It will also he noted in this position of the parts (Fig. 5) that the lug 52 or the lever 39 has engaged the adjustable stop screw 68 on the lever 87. As the rod fill continues its forward stroke and the lever 39, as a consequence, its counterclockwise rotation (Fig. 5), the lug 52 on the lever 39 abutting the screw. 48 on the lever -31 rotates the latter lever 41 in a similar direction to the position shown {2- I It will be apparent that by varying the position or the screw 48 on the lever Q'l, the stroke of the plunger 55 may be microscopically determined and, thus the volume of oil pumped during reciprocation of the'lever 39 and consequently the total volume over a given period of time and thereby the time it will take for the cam rolle -'28 to traverse the cam slot 2'5 will be determineif In the reverse movement or the lever 35?. inch.-

cated by the arrows in Figs. 6- end 7, the idgbi on the lever engages the lever 4| (Fig. 7), leaving the lever 41 still in its last operated position, and rotates the lever 4| and the attached valve member 31 clockwise from the position indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 to that shown in Fig. 4, thus cutting oil? the oil passage 59 from the oil passage 6| to the cylinder H and opening the oil passage 60 to the oil passage 62 to the supply chamber H. in such a manner that the passage 59 is completely cut off before the passage 60 is opened, thus maintaining the pressure of the pumped oil against the piston l4. At the point where the passage 60 is opened, the lever 41 is rocked clockwise (Figs. 6 and '7) by the engagement of the advancing pin 53 on the lever 39 with the arm of the lever 41 to its normal position (Figs. 3 and .4). This movement of the lever 41 rotating the spirally threaded member 46, withdraws the plunger 55 from its inner position (Fig. 8) to its outer normal position (Fig. 3). This completes one cycle of operation of the pump and valve l3 during a forward and reverse reciprocatory movement of the actuating rod 40.

Fig. 2 illustrates one type of an adjustable thermostat 24 adapted to be used in controlling the temperature in an oven, or other space, in accordance with a predetermined program. A pair of bowed contact springs 68 are connected at; their upper ends to a member 69 carried from an upper end wall 10 of the thermostat with their lower ends connected to a member ll in turn connected to a screw threaded rod 12, which is freely threaded into a threaded aperture in the rotat able screw 20. A pair of spaced guide lugs 13 are fixed at diametrical points to the inner face of the thermostat casing 24, whereby rotation of the member H and thereby the rod 72 and the springs 68 is prevented. Intermediate their ends, the springs 68, upon their inner faces, carry contacts '14, to which are attached conductors 15, which are included in an electrical circuit which may be connected to suitable means (not shown) for causing the oven to be heated in accordance with a predetermined program. The screw threads upon the outer faces of the screw 20 and rod 72 in the particular embodiment shown are right-hand and the thread on the rod may have one thread less per inch than the thread on the screw 20. Thus, in the operation of the mechanism and assuming that initial adjustments have been made for the desired temperature program, as the screw 20 is rotated through an angle of 80 in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, in the manner previously described and during a period of fiftyfive days, the non-rotatable rod 12 will be drawn very slowly downwardly and thereby cause the point at which the contacts open and close to change in accordance with the desired program during the fifty-five day period.

What is claimed is:

l. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a fluid delivery device actuated by said means on each stroke of said means in one direction for delivering a measured amount of fluid, a variable control device to control the cycle of the apparatus, and means actuated by the delivered fluid for causing said control device to be varied in accordance with the desired cycle of the apparatus.

2. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a fluid delivery device actuated by said means on each stroke of said means in one direction for delivering a measured amount of fluid, a variable control device having a rotatable actuator variable over a predetermined range to control the cycle of the apparatus, reciprocatory moans actuated by the delivered fluid, and means operatively connecting said reciprocatory means to said rotatable actuator for rotating the latter to cause said control device to be varied in accordance with the desired cycle of the apparatus.

3. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a fluid delivery device actuated by said means on each stroke of said means in one direction for delivering a measured amount of fluid, a variable control device having a rotatable actuator variable over a predetermined range to control the cycle of the apparatus, a hollow rod actuated by the delivered fluid, a rod splined to said hollow rod and operatively connected to said rotatable actuator, a member having a cam track, and a cam roller carried by said hollow rod engaging said track for rotating said hollow rod and actuator to cause said control device to be varied in accordance with the desired cycle of the apparatus.

4. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a fluid pump having a plunger movable by said means on each stroke of said means in one direction for delivering a measured amount of fluid, means for varying the movement of said plunger and thereby the amount of fluid delivered, a variable control device to control the cycle of the apparatus, and means actuated by the delivered fluid for causing said control device to be varied in accordance with the desired cycle of the apparatus.

5. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a fluid pump having a plunger movable by said means on each stroke of said means in one direction for delivering a measured amount of fluid for each stroke in said on direction, a lever connected to said means, a second lever operatively connected to said plunger for actuation by said first-mentioned lever to actuate said plunger on each stroke of said means, means interconnecting said second lever to said plunger for varying the movement imparted thereto by said first lever and thereby the.

amount of fluid delivered, a control device, and means actuated by the delivered fluid for causing said control device to be varied in accordance with the desired cycle of the apparatus.

6. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a variable control device variable over a predetermined range to control the cycle of the apparatus, hydraulic actuating means for said control device, a pump actuated by said first-mentioned means on each stroke of said means in one direction for delivering a measured amount of fluid to said hydraulic actuating means including a cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet apertures, a reciprocatory and oscillatory piston in said cylinder, means effective for reciprocating said piston in response to oscillatory movements thereof, and means inc1udatomic cillatory movements to said piston at a predetermined rate. I

'7. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a variable control device variable over a predetermined range to control the cycle of the apparatus, hydraulic actuating-means for said control device, means .for delivering. fluid to said actuating means, including an oscillatory valve, ,v cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet apertures in said valve, a reciprocatory and oscillatory piston in said cylinder,

- means effective for reciprocating said piston in response to oscillatory movements thereof, and means including said first mentioned means for imparting oscillatory movements to said valve and piston in timed relation and at a predetermined rate.

8. A mechanism for controlling a cycle of an apparatus comprising a constant speed source of power, means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed intervals, a variable control device I and iston in timed relation and at a prweter mined rate.

r 9. A mechanism for controlling a cycle 02- an apparatus comprising a variable control device whose effect may be varied over a predetermined range to control the cycle of the'apparatus,'a'

fluid supply source, hydraulic actuating means i'or said control device, means for delivering iiuid from said supply source to said actuating means, including an oscillatory valve, a cylinder hav inlet and outlet apertures in said valve communicating with'said supply source and said actuating means, means for oscillating said valve to control the inlet and outlet apertures to out 06 a quantity of static fluid from the supply source and entrap'it in and between the cylinder and said actuating means, a piston in said cylinder, means for-reciprocating said piston in rense to oscillatory movements of said valve, a con stant speed sourceof power, and means operable therefrom through a fixed stroke at fixed inter vals for actuating said valve oscillating means to impart oscillatory movements to said valve. and pigeon in timed relation and at a predetermined ra f. C. MISC.

' mannerisms crrnn The following references are of record in the fiieof this patent:

UNITED STATES PA A Stacy Mar. 5, rest) 

